InformAction Forums

I've got a few ideas that in my opinion would make using NoScript much easier.

I've created a mockup interface to illustrate them.



My ideas are:
1. Buttons on the popup bar for Allowing or Blocking scripts from the site we visit. We go to lifehacker for example, hit Yes next to the question and we're done. Of course then there are all those scripts from other domains so...
2. Buttons to mass allow or block third-party scripts. I don't know (or want to know) what quantserve.com is, what sitemeter.com is etc. etc. so I hit Block all. If I need to fine-tune script-blocking I can use the Advanced button to allow/block specific sites.
3. The options menu should be persistent, I mean it shouldn't close after each click (only after page click). Menu of the add-on Stylish behaves like this, so I know it's possible. This would enable the user to allow/block multiple sites with only one click on Options.

Nice mockup. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

linchpin wrote:1. Buttons on the popup bar for Allowing or Blocking scripts from the site we visit. We go to lifehacker for example, hit Yes next to the question and we're done. Of course then there are all those scripts from other domains so...

That might be especially useful to new users that haven't disabled the notification bar yet. If the top-level site is blocked, then a button like "Allow lifehacker.com?" might be nice. Only display it if the site is blocked. Yes and No buttons would be unnecessary.

2. Buttons to mass allow or block third-party scripts. I don't know (or want to know) what quantserve.com is, what sitemeter.com is etc. etc. so I hit Block all. If I need to fine-tune script-blocking I can use the Advanced button to allow/block specific sites.

Allow All without vetting the blocked scripts is dangerous. This would make it too easy to do.
Everything that isn't in the whitelist is blocked already. By "Block All" do you mean "Add all blocked third-party sites to the Untrusted list so I don't see this notification bar the next time I visit this site"? That could unexpectedly break things on other sites and the user wouldn't know why. Fine-tuning is safer. Best to do this individually from the menu, if at all. I rarely bother.

3. The options menu should be persistent, I mean it shouldn't close after each click (only after page click). Menu of the add-on Stylish behaves like this, so I know it's possible. This would enable the user to allow/block multiple sites with only one click on Options.

As you suggest, it might be nice to make the menu popped up by the Options button on the notification bar be a sticky menu. Sticky menu has already been implemented for a left-click on the status bar icon.

Edit: By the way, I'm another user. I'm just making my suggestions too.

So, if I block (mark as untrusted), lets say, facebook.com it's blocked everywhere? Hmm... Okay, so Block All is out. Maybe put Allow All This Page in the bar then? For often visited, trusted sites it would be very convenient to just hit a button and have the notification bar go away.

Sticky menu on the statusbar icon... works. I haven't noticed it. If only I used the statusbar

The difficulty in adopting NoScript is that it gets in the way so much in the beginning. I can imagine ordinary people being annoyed by the notification bar popping up on all their favorite sites.
Maybe disabling the notification bar on sites opened through bookmarks would help?

But I'm starting to go off-topic.

My main feature request in this topic will be the Allow This Site (top-level site that is) button on the notification bar. This button should say "I know this site is safe, I want to run scripts originating from it, I'll deal with third-parties later. Be gone, bar!"

linchpin wrote:The difficulty in adopting NoScript is that it gets in the way so much in the beginning. I can imagine ordinary people being annoyed by the notification bar popping up on all their favorite sites.
Maybe disabling the notification bar on sites opened through bookmarks would help?

You do know that the notification bar can be disabled through the Options, right? That's the first setting I change on a new installation. Without even opening the menu, just looking at the status bar or toolbar icon alone provides me with more usable information than the notification bar.

I think you're ready to be weaned off the notification bar. The toobar button will Allow a blocked top-level site with just one click. Drag the NoScript toolbar button onto one of your toolbars, if you haven't already. If scripting is blocked because the top-level site is blocked, it will look like this or this . Make sure NoScript Options > General > Left clicking on NoScript toolbar ... is checked. It's enabled by default. A left click on the toolbar button will Allow the top-level site if it isn't already. Otherwise it will remove it from the whitelist. It's a toggle. Ctrl-Shift-BACKSLASH is has the same effect.